Wednesday: The President will arrive in Stockholm. While there, he will hold a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with Prime Minister Reinfeldt. He will then participate in an event honoring Raoul Wallenberg at the Great Synagogue in Stockholm and tour an expo featuring clean energy innovations at the Royal Institute of Technology. In the evening, he will take part in a dinner with Nordic Leaders.

Thursday: The President will hold a bilateral meeting with the King and Queen of Sweden. He will then depart Stockholm en route Saint Petersburg, Russia where he will attend the G-20 Summit.

President Obama will include members of Russian LGBT groups among the NGO leaders, democracy activists and human rights advocates he meets later this week when he is in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the G-20 summit, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.

It’s typical for visiting U.S. officials, including the president, to meet with civil society members here in Russia, something that always irks the Kremlin. But this appears to be the first time LGBT groups have been included in a presidential-level meeting.

…. It comes after a summer of international outrage over Russia’s new gay “propaganda” law, which outlaws even discussing homosexuality around minors. Violators could be fined and jailed. Foreigners face similar penalties plus deportation.

During an appearance on Jay Leno’s show last month, Obama was asked about the law and said he has “no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.”

Rick Ungar (Forbes): Media Outlets Spitting Mad At Obama For Spoiling Their Plans To Cash In On War

Following the President’ surprise announcement that he would seek the advice and consent of Congress before launching an attack on Syria, it seemed that no matter where you landed on the cable news dial everyone was in a state of upset.

With visions of TV screens filled with ‘shock and awe’ dancing in their heads along with the blessed promise of the ratings that follow the hysteria of war—not to mention a sublime ending to the slow news agony of August that dogs all news show production staffs, writers and broadcasters (trust me,I know)—Obama had held out the football for Charlie Brown to kick and then pulled it away at the last minute.

And the media was pissed.

…. And then there were the pundits appearing on networks representing all sides of the political spectrum — including those who claim to play it ‘down the middle’ — who took to the airwaves to angrily argue that the President’s backing off an attack pending Congressional approval would weaken America in the eyes of the world.

…. Let us be clear. There is no blazing, murderous maw into which Joe Lieberman would not be willing to feed someone else’s child ….. The man could care less about the dead. He’d feed on them himself, if he could.

…. The working folk of America needed a champion – we needed a fierce advocate, if you will. And we elected one in 2008. If by some miracle of happenstance, President Obama didn’t have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition, even from “liberals” in the media, it would be patently obvious to everyone that the man presently occupying the Oval Office is the most worker-friendly president since Franklin Roosevelt. Barack Obama is a president who has more than kept his word to always make the best decision for people who work for a living.

…. a look at basically all of the president’s domestic policy – from bills that became law to bills that were blocked by Republicans, from legislation to administrative rulemaking – has been focused on one thing and one thing alone: helping America’s workers regain a footing in this economy. His job has not been easy, to put a severely mild point on it. But if on this labor day, we’re looking for a best friend of the American worker in government, the man behind the presidential seal is a pretty good pick.

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday discussed the purported chemical weapons attack in Syria.

According to a White House readout of the phone call, both leaders “agreed that the use of chemical weapons is a serious violation of international norms and cannot be tolerated” while pledging to stay in close consultation on a potential response against the Assad regime in Syria.

Think Progress: Eleven Other Things American Workers Deserve (Besides A Day Off)

Labor Day is meant to celebrate the accomplishments of the American worker, who spends most days on an oil rig or in an office, on the assembly line or on the docks, making the American economy run. The holiday originated in 1894, after two dozen people were killed during the Pullman Strike, a railway workers’ boycott of low wages and high rent. From there, it became an American tradition, meant to honor the accomplishments of the people who make this nation run.

The battle is not yet won. Unions are on the decline, while income inequality is on the rise. Women still aren’t earning what men make. And many employees still aren’t free from discrimination at their jobs. Here are just eleven of the fights we’re still fighting for the American worker

Actor Robert De Niro defends President Barack Obama as a “good person” who’s “trying his best” for the country in the in the fall issue of Du Jour magazine:

Working as an actor his entire life means that De Niro sees everything through that lens. In describing his steadfast support for Barack Obama, he compares the president’s challenges to a filmmaker’s. “He’s a good person, period,” he says. “He’s trying his best. He’s going to do things that people feel are not right or violating one right or another. But at the end of the day, he represents, I think, the best of the type of people that I would like to see running the government. He has to play that game, the political game. They all do. They make statements they can’t honor because they’re impossible to honor. Once you get into that Washington machinery, you’ve just got to figure it out and swim against the current and grab onto this rock and that, and just try to maintain your course.”

“You know, it’s one thing to be a critic,” he continues. “It’s another thing to be directly involved. It’s like directing a movie and you edit the film and then someone will give you a suggestion: ‘You could do this, you could do that.’ You look and you say, ‘Yeah, but the reason I can’t do that is because I don’t have that shot, and if I use this shot that’s better here, it impacts on this one and it’s a story point.’ In other words, it can’t be done. You have to make these choices with the government, and you’re going to be criticized. If you took the time to explain it all to the public, they’d say, ‘OK, I get it.’ Can you explain to everybody? No. You just have to say, ‘I made this choice because I felt it was the right choice.’”

I wish I could find a job where I could do so little and be paid so much. Did we expect the President to say he wouldn’t expect to win the vote? God, Knoller, go have another donut at the taxpayer’s expense and STFU.

UT, thank you! Fabulous R&S. I especially like this paragraph at the end of Rick Ungar’s article that you posted above re: Syria hissyfits:

[…..] “But if you are forming these opinions based on the self-interest of the media or the politicians, you might wish to rethink your position based on reality as neither the media nor the politicians are fulfilling their responsibility to give you measured analysis designed to assist you in forming your own perspectives.”

Good morning to my Chips, UT, and all of my TOD family. A lovely hot and humid sunny lovely Cali., day to Rise and Be so grateful to have President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on this 3rd day of Sept., 2013. That is our work, TOD family. Proud and so grateful for our POTUS.

May all of his meetings go forth with encouragement, brilliant ideas, graceful speech, and faith that it will get done. May the hearts and minds of those he will be meeting with come to a place where all can work for the better of the nation and the people of the world. May favor from Almighty be given to our president in all matters that will come across his desk this day.

May his travels to Sweden be filled with goodness, peacefulness, brilliant decisions that will help all of us all over the world, and may the respect that he gives be measured back to him in fullness of goodness.

Bless, protect, and give him wisdom,; give his advisors wisdom; give his Cabinet members wisdom; give each WH staff person wisdom is doing their jobs, and give wisdom to the Congress members who are meeting with POB today. Grant him blessings, Almighty so others will be able to live a peaceful and full and fair life.

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((((((((((((( Loving prayers and meditations going forth for the loving support of our FLOTUS and SLOTUS for our POTUS & VPOTUS)))))))))))))

We are going to be find, TOD family. Oh, do not forget to ring in on the conference call with Axe this afternoon. Check your messages from last week.

Off to eat something lite and get ready for my doctor’s appointment. Pray for me, please. I will do fine. I have to. ((((( Love my TOD Family.))))HZ
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(((((((((((((( Thanks, my beautiful angel. I am going in with fresh and open thoughts to healing goodness through his 10 fingers for medical knowledge and my receivable mind of reasonable questions. )))))))))))))) We will all be fine as long as we stay strong together with, and for our president and each other. We have work to get done, and we will get ours done.

Just think, there are some people who cannot go in to see a doctor this morning; and yet there will be so many because of the ACA will be able to not have to worry about these appointment because they will have some of the great opportunities that so many of us have. We will be fine. () HZ

(((((((((((( TY, our wonderful UT.))))))))))))) I appreciate your beautiful work that you do to help our beautiful Chips to keep us sweetly at the table within our TOD family. You are so appreciated by this little senior. Thank you so much, UT. Lovingly, HZ

Love, Love, Love the Malcolm X quote about the media. Excellent reminder that the true job of the MSM is not to inform the public. Rather, the MSM’s true job/purpose is to further the interests of the ownership class/corporations and maintain the status quo.

Morning! Luscious R/S this morning, UT:) My power was out until a few minutes ago, so I was busy having TOD withdraw symptoms….NOW, I have to go to work! Seems like Monday:) My son’s 19th birthday today though…today is GREAT! Seems like only yesterday that child came into this world…goes so fast.

Since 2007, Israel has struck Syria many times without ONE Singular retaliation. The Syrian gov’t in 2013 did nothing 4-5 times when Israel air raided their air space. So if Israel gets her military arsenal from US and support from US, striking Syria without any retaliation……..then someone please educate me on how Syria is now capable to attack US and shoot down our planes? I am not an expert, but common sense is lacking, lagging and totally off the charts.

It is predictable. On a given day, most of the Naysayers on Syria would naturally always come from the Left, Progressives and Liberals. Generally pre-PBO, most Lets bomb group would come from the Right. I have no problems with them. We need a balance party. The problem :) today is the right are becoming DOVISH in the Era of PBO ;) That is a great thing. This president isn’t afraid to deploy troops. He wants all accountable, thoughtful and engaged. That is a greater deal.

PBO has done the most when compared to all other american prezs and other world leaders when it comes to lgbt issues (even though the same lgbt’s don’t have the grace and honesty to acknowledge his efforts). I think it’s time for him to put this issue behind him and start pushing for other more important international issues for the rest of his presidency.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) on Tuesday announced he would support strikes against Syria in response to the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons earlier this month, urging a substantial number of his skeptical Republican colleagues to follow suit.

“I appreciate the president reaching out to me and my colleagues in the Congress over the last couple of weeks. I also appreciate the president asking the Congress to support him in this action,” Boehner after a meeting with the president and other congressional leaders at the White House.

I am going to keep my ears to the heart of President Obama heart. Keep my eyes to his actions; keep my ears to his great line of thoughts and much wisdom in hit speech; and my feet and hands ready to move into action of support, prayers, meditations for those who will carry out the orders(if and when he makes them known to the responsible men and women who will carry out those orders). That is my prayer for this brilliant President and VP President and his team.

I have Congress on another powerful line, if you know what I mean. They two have responsibilities and we must see to it that they are also held accountable. My space is free of the cable talking heads. No space for them today. Now, everyone be gentle in your space, but be wise also.HZ

Boner will likely ignore the “Hastert Rule” and allow a vote without having a majority of the majority. There will be enough support from Dems to have the resolution pass the House. Since (1) Israel wants the military strikes against Syria and (2) the Defense contractors who contribute heavily to GOP (and Dems) want the strikes too, I have little doubt that the authorization will pass both the House and Senate. Of course the MSM and pols will make the situation as dramatic as possible (afterall politics is show business for ugly people).

I hate this mess. I really do. If Congress and our poisoned political discourse wasn’t so broken, we could have a substantive debate on this very complex set of options. I say options, because I am doubtful of anything being an actual solution.

I was a teen-ager in the 60’s when ALL Americans and young people were personally affected by war, and I believe that any and all military actions should be considered soberly, carefully and used only as a last resort. And yes – I trust PBO when I didn’t trust Bush/Cheney and would never trust any of the RWNJ’s that will be their party’s nominee in 2016 to make such difficult decisions. That’s kinda the point – we should elect people who are competent, both intellectually and morally, for the job.

We can no longer have nuanced debates. If we have serious questions about military action, we’re called unsupportive of PBO, when we’re just asking questions to make sure the decision is sound. I’m also sick to death of everything being a political horse race to the MSM, instead of a serious consideration of major global issues. It’s petty, close-minded, short-sighted and not worthy of an entire news industry.

Late G’morning, everyone. Boy, do I love TOD! If it weren’t for this site, the last five years would have made me totally crazy. Thank you Blog Mistress, extraordinaire, ChipSticks, and your very capable assistants.

these folks on teevee need to be reminded that this is about using chemical weapons. It is not about the civil war in Syria.. that is not illegal.. using chemical weapons is a violation of international law. period. All this other crap is excuses and noise. I’ve read comments too on twitter about how we used Agent Orange in the past, etc…. Barack Obama was not President then.. so the past does not enter into this equation. He is the boss now and he has made it clear that he will not allow violation of international law to go unanswered.

LOL, Chips! Nancy looks like she’d like to reach over and smash Boner’s head into the table. Keep your hands under the table, Nancy, in cse that cup & saucer or the glass of water becomes too tempting a missile! Ah, the heck with it, go for it, Nancy! :)